


Around the Bases

by Trixxster103



Series: Pearlmethyst Week 2017 [2]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Baseball, Drag, F/F, Fluff and Angst, High School Musical References, Hip Hop, Human AU, Hurt/Comfort, and gender play, drag kings, gender expression, non-explicit mentions of sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-20 00:02:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11324472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trixxster103/pseuds/Trixxster103
Summary: Pearl's been distant and moody, and Amethyst can't figure out why. A fateful trip to the gay bar run by Ruby and Sapphire changes all of that.Day 4, Free Day (whatever you want), for #fuckyeahpearlmethyst prompt week on Tumblr.





	Around the Bases

“First one’s on me, if you smile,” Ruby said, sliding a purple drink down the bar to Amethyst, who was sulking into her crossed arms.

“Save the flirting for your wife, Rubes,” Amethyst grumbled.

“I’m not leaving you alone until you smile,” Ruby shot back, coming over to shove the drink at Amethyst. “I will tickle you, in public, if you don’t drink this, young lady.”

“You’re more of a mom than Pearl sometimes,” Amethyst complained, trying to fight the beginning of a smile on her lips. She swirled the purple drink a bit, then shrugged and downed it in one shot.

“Wanna talk about it? Or with Sapphy?”

“With you, if anyone,” Amethyst admitted. Ruby left her for a moment to tend to the other patrons. It was early in the night, but there was going to be a show starting any minute, and then the drinks would start rolling in.

“Alright, spill.” Ruby demanded, slapping two shots on the table in front of them.

“You know me too well.” Amethyst downed her shot quickly and Ruby did the same.

“Pearl’s being distant again. She said she’s busy tonight, and she refuses to tell me why! She said she’s figuring some stuff out, but she promised to tell me soon. We’ve been dating for a year Ruby, shouldn’t we be figuring stuff out together! What could she be doing that she can’t trust me to help her with?”

Ruby tried very hard not to laugh. “Sapphy and I went through the same thing when it came to deciding if we wanted to have Garnet or not. Some things you just have to figure out on your own, not because you don’t love the person you’re with to help you, but because you don’t love yourself enough yet. I had a lot of inadequacy issues I had to work through before I was ready to have a kid, and the only thing Sapphy could do to help was wait and keep loving me until I was ready for us to figure it out together.”

“So you’re saying I should be patient. Just like Garnet did. UGH.” Amethyst slammed her face on the bar. Ruby decided not to mention how dirty it probably was. “It just hurts to see Pearl so worked up and sad and not be able to help her, y’know? I feel like a failure as a girlfriend.”

“Trust me, you are helping her, just by being supportive,” Ruby said with a smile, warm hand on Amethyst’s forearm.

Ruby yelped, Sapphire appearing at her side, hugging her tightly, and lifting her off the ground. Amethyst was always impressed by how strong both of the tiny women were. “Get your bowtie, sweetie, the show’s about to start, and you need to MC. I’ll handle the bar.”

Ruby twirled Sapphire once, planted a kiss to her cheek and then strode off to get ready. Sapphire watched her go with a sigh. Amethyst just rolled her eyes. They were like two middle aged middle schoolers with the way they carried on.

“Don’t you usually spend Wednesday nights with Pearl?” Sapphire asked Amethyst when she beckoned her over for her final drink of the night, Ruby already mounting the stage to start warming up the crowd.

“There’s stuff going on, and Pearl told me she had a free ticket and to come here and enjoy myself. I love a good drag show, but I kind of just want to go home and wallow in self-pity for the rest of the night. Maybe drink cheap wine and yell at the TV.”

 “Stay. It’ll be worth it. I promise.” Sapphire commanded cryptically. Amethyst had spent enough time with Garnet and Sapphire to know how scarily accurate their predictions could be, so she did. She ordered another purple drink, and turned around just as the first act was getting on stage; a pair of queens in long velvet dresses starting the night off classy.

Two more acts came and went, and Amethyst nursed her drink slowly through them. Her long nights of binge drinking and debauchery were behind her. And really she only minded a little. She had ten year old Steven to help look after now, and a girlfriend she wanted to marry someday, and an actual job that she liked at least a little bit. If not for Pearl’s obvious distress (Amethyst had seen train wreck’s more subtle than her girlfriend) everything in her life would finally be perfect.

Ruby looked right at her as she mounted the stage to announce the fourth act, and Amethyst self-consciously sat a little straighter. When Ruby winked at her she did a full on double take.

“Now, ladies and gentleman,” Ruby started out, putting on her show voice and playing it up for the crowd. Sapphire waved, and Ruby blew her a kiss to a swell of cheers. (The crowd of The Fire and Ice gay bar were very fond of the owners, Amethyst had learned long ago). “I hope you’ll give a big round of applause for a new act this week. This is the first time performing for these three kings, so make some noise for: The Baseball Boys!”

The lights dimmed, and the crowd started a drum roll, which Amethyst half-heartedly joined in on. Smoke poured in from somewhere, and for a second the lights went out completely. When they came back on, three kings in baseball uniforms stood with their backs to the crowd. The drum roll reached a fever pitch. Amethyst sipped her drink, curious.

Ruby bounced in place, her excitement palpable. “May I introduce: Pierre Debonair. Bobby Rock. And Earl!”

The three kings spun around and struck a pose as Ruby introduced them, letting the audience get a good idea of who they were. Amethyst almost choked on her drink as she took each of them in. The snub nose, and freckles were impossible to miss: Pierre was Peridot! Pierre was obviously supposed to be ‘a preppy’ boy, dressed in a modern all white uniform, with a (goddamn) flat cap on his head and a sweater tied around his shoulders. Amethyst laughed, but it wasn’t teasingly. Peridot looked good, flashing a blasé smile and acting like a rich boy who was above everyone else. The next king was even more of a shock to Amethyst. Bobby Rock was a bad boy with slick backed blue hair, middle finger up to the world, and baseball shirt unbuttoned to reveal a black muscle shirt underneath. His kleats were a mess of laces, and his sinfully tight shorts were definitely not regulation. And he was Lapis Lazuli. Amethyst felt her face burn. She was monogamous, but she wasn’t blind dammnit! Lapis knew how to rock a pair of shorts.

The final king, whom Amethyst hadn’t paid much attention to at first due to his more subtle presence was the one that ended up knocking her off her chair. Earl looked like a momma’s boy straight from the fifties, with the knickerbockers and high socks, and traditional newsboy cap over his peach hair. He was facing to the side, baseball bat leaning on his shoulder towards the audience like a shield, and there was a glint in his eye that said he was a little scared, but a little proud too. Amethyst did choke on her drink that time, falling off her chair to stand idly by the bar. There was no question that Earl was Pearl. And Earl was flat chested. And packing. And Amethyst had no idea what to do.

 She didn’t have time to figure it out when the three broke formation as Ruby announced, “This is The Baseball Boys, and they’ll be performing: ‘I Don’t Dance’ from everyone’s favorite sing-along, ‘High School Musical 2’!”

Of course it would be High School Musical 2. It was the one movie that Pearl pretended she was above liking, even though she knew every song by heart (it helped that Steven had just discovered the series and demanded to watch it as much as possible) and Amethyst teased her relentlessly about it.

Pierre took the obvious role of Troy, and damn if he didn’t play it up. Bobby and Earl, hip-hopped their way around him, weaved around each other, playing two separate, but equally enticing Chads; Bobby, who was all hips, and suggestive touches of his own body, who revelled in his skin and Earl, innocent but earnest, all around wholesome drinks-his-milk-everyday boy.

Watching Earl dance hip-hop was intoxicating for Amethyst. It was clear that the steps didn’t come naturally to him, especially when they got to more of the breaking moves, but the earnest way he tried earned him swelling cheers every time he pulled off a move successfully, until the crowd was screaming his name in crescendo with Bobby’s. Most importantly though, was the way he shone. Earl radiated confidence, and rode the high of their cheers like nothing in the world could touch him while he was dancing on the stage, even through his obvious inexperience. He owned it. 

The dance ended with Bobby and Pierre back to back, Pierre throwing peace signs and Bobby making a lewd gesture with his own peace sign, and Earl on the ground in front of them doing the splits. Their chests were heaving, sweat coated their brows and their cheeks were rosy with exertion but Amethyst thought that she had never seen anyone so handsome in her life.

They left quickly, bowing to thunderous applause. Bobby threw his (sweaty) baseball shirt into the crowd as he left, winking at the girls that pushed and shoved to fight over it. Amethyst tried to get her heart beating properly and her legs to stop wobbling as she leaned on the bar.

Sapphire came over with another drink, knowing she wanted one without being asked. “Have you been putting shit in my drink, Sapphire, or did I actually just see that?” Amethyst asked, gulping down the burning liquid into her suddenly dry mouth. Sapphire giggled into her hand.

“Too hot for you, Amethyst?” she teased.

“It was awesome. Surprising, but awesome!” Amethyst fist pumped the air, but slumped again when she felt her stomach twist. “But also a little confusing.”

Ruby appeared then, suddenly at her side, “The show’s on intermission. Baseball Boys are dressing room 5. Just thought you ought to know.” She raised a brow at Amethyst and stared at her. Sapphire did too, the three eyes between them burning a hole through her.

“I get it. I need to talk to her. I’m going.” Amethyst finished her drink with a final hard swallow, the liquid courage warming her insides and spurring her forward.

The dressing rooms of the bar were hazy, and smelled of sweat, perfume and cologne. Amethyst slipped the musky scent on easily. She was used to it, having done hip-hop enough times to almost enjoy the scent of a dozen sweaty dancers crammed in a room full of mirrors. She pushed the door to number 5 open, noticing the scrawled name tag of ‘Baseball Boyz’ in Peridot’s illegible handwriting stuck to the door with packing tape.

Behind the second door she could hear Peridot’s nasally voice and Lapis’ hushed replies, both gushing about how much fun it was. Steeling her courage, Amethyst gave three hard knocks. The door opened only a crack for Lapis to glare out at whoever decided to bother them. When she saw who it was she opened it just enough for Amethyst to come in, silent and watchful.

Peridot was chugging an entire bottle of water, already out of her costume and in an oversized sweater (that might’ve been Lapis’, she honestly wasn’t sure what Peridot and Lapis ‘were’), cargo pants and her favorite alien converse. Lapis was in nothing but her undergarments and didn’t seem to care about that fact one way or another, but Amethyst was still polite enough not to overtly stare at her. And Pearl….

Pearl was still Earl, staring wide eyed into one of the mirrors, breathing still heavy and panicked. Amethyst approached her slowly, trying not to startle her. Lapis did it for her, breaking Earl’s focus with a hand to his shoulder.

“Do you want us to stay, Earl?” Lapis spoke so quietly that even Amethyst, right beside her, had to strain to hear it. Earl reached for her hand, breath normalizing, eyes coming into focus. Peridot joined them, resting her hand on Earl’s arm, just under Lapis’.

“No.” The word was foreign and heavy on Earl’s tongue. “I think I’ll be alright. Thank you.” Earl nodded to both Lapis and Peridot.

“Alright. We won’t be far if you need us.” Lapis grabbed Peridot and dragged her out of the room, the blond woman screeching at Lapis to put some clothes on at least. Then the door closed behind them, heavy and solid, and the dressing room was quiet.

Earl still couldn’t look at Amethyst. He stared at himself in the mirror, nails making crescent shapes where he dug them into his palms. Tears welled at the corner of his eyes. Amethyst touched his arm, smiled understandingly up at him, and then he broke. Hot tears made embarrassing tracts through the make-up Earl had used to cover his freckles, and he wheezed, ashamed of crying, but unable to stop.

“It’s okay,” Amethyst repeated soothingly, bundling Earl up into her arms in the nearest chair. He buried his face into her neck and cried there for a while. Amethyst rubbed up and down his back in soothing circles, turning it into a slow massage. When he sniffled, spent of tears, he nuzzled into her hair further, breathing in the familiar smell that was ‘Amethyst’.

“Take a moment to think of just…” Amethyst sang, voice rough and low with emotion.

“Flexibility, love and trust,” Earl managed to finish through the lump in his throat.

Reluctantly, Earl pulled away, leaning back in Amethyst’s embrace so he could look her properly in the eyes. He tried to leave her lap, feeling itchy. He didn’t deserve to sit there. But Amethyst knew him too well, and rubbed his bare forearms, looped her arms around his back and hugged him close again. Earl matched his breathing to hers, feeling calm again.

“So. Are we gonna talk about this?”

Earl nodded, and wiped at his blotchy face with his wrist, dirtying it with smudged make-up and tears. For once he didn’t care about the mess. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, Amethyst. You’re the last one to know and that’s. Not fair.” Earl started blubbering again as he tried to force his way through the last bit of the words.

“Does Greg know?”

“No.”

“Then I’m not the last one to know. You have nothing to apologize for.” Amethyst chuckled, and smiled, trying to get Earl to do the same.

“So, you’re okay with… this?” Earl asked, hands balled into his uniform, knuckles white with stress.

Amethyst reached for Earl’s face, cupping one cheek with her palm. She brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes and then swept her hand to the back of his head. Pulling him close she let their foreheads touch, and breathed slowly through her nose. Earl met her gaze and did the same, his breath slowing even more, calm washing over him.

“I love you. And _this_ isn’t gonna change that. Besides, I’m pan, remember? I wanted to have sex with you when you were in the hospital with pneumonia, remember? You could grow another head and I’d still wanna do you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Amethyst!” Earl scolded, but also laughed, finally, the stress snapping completely.

The laughter turned into a full fit, and Amethyst joined him gladly. When they both calmed down she asked, “So, does this mean you want me to use he/him?”

Earl struggled to find the words. “Yes.” He started slowly.

“You can tell me the rest, silly, I’m not gonna leave,” Amethyst prodded gently. “Can’t anyways, with your cute little butt on my lap.”

“Just for today. You can call me that. Earl.”

Amethyst raised a brow. “Would they/them be better?”

“No! No. I. I don’t think I want to be that.” Earl mumbled. “I don’t hate being a woman. Most days. Sometimes I feel like Pearl. But. Sometimes. I feel like Earl. It changes.”

“How long have you felt like this?”

“I think I always felt a little off, but I didn’t realize why until the baseball game with Steven and Ruby’s cousins.”

“Earl.” Amethyst said. “That was more than a year ago. Before we were even together. Have you really been unhappy for so long?” Amethyst felt guilty and stupid. Why hadn’t she seen this? Her own girlfriend… boyfriend… felt off for so long and she hadn’t been there to help.

“Oh, Amethyst. No.” Earl took her hands and smiled down at her, longing to kiss away the guilt on her face. “It’s not that I was unhappy. This past year is one of the best I’ve ever had. I just needed to try Earl on. I needed to see what it felt like to be him.”

“Do you like it? Because it looks like you did. You looked radiant on stage.”

Earl flushed such a brilliant scarlet that it was visible even under the thick makeup. “I really did.” He bit his lower lip, hesitant, then added, “Did you?”

“Earl. You’re really hot. Like okay, half that crowd wanted to jump Bobby, but the other half? The other half, wanted to jump you. That whole wholesome confidence thing is… wow. And you’re still the same dork I wanna marry someday, so Earl really isn’t that different.” Amethyst shifted Earl to straddle her lap so she could kiss him properly.

He stopped her with a squeal. “You wanna marry me?” Earl thought he might cry again, but this time with tears of joy instead of stress and fear.

It was Amethyst’s turn to flush scarlet and with a yelp she buried her face into Earl’s chest. “Of course I do, you nerd,” she growled into his uniform, unable to look him in the eyes, but also unable to deny him an honest answer in the afterglow of their intense feelings.

“Do you want to talk about it later?” Earl patted her back, and Amethyst could feel the smug smile on his face.

“Yes, please. Can I kiss you instead?”

Earl leaned down and Amethyst rose up to meet him. The kiss began chaste, but quickly devolved into a battle of tongue and teeth, as Earl tangled his hands into Amethyst’s hair. Earl rested his chin on Amethyst’s head as they panted together when they were finally forced apart for air. Earl felt like he had put all of his emotions into that one kiss, ripping himself open like a wound, raw and vulnerable. Luckily he had Amethyst there to bandage him up.

“So what did you mean, I’m the last one you told?” Amethyst mumbled into his shirt, content to rest there for a moment. Earl laughed easily, and Amethyst felt it ripple through his whole body and into her.

“Well, to be honest, this whole thing started out with me wanting to learn hip-hop,” Earl explained easily, tangling his hands back into Amethyst’s hair and carefully combing out the knots with his long fingers.

“Hip-hop? You?”

“You always say I should try dancing your way. And you’ve been so good about trying ballet and meeting me in the middle. I just wanted to reciprocate that. I found out that hip-hop has an incredibly interesting history, but needed someone to actually show me how to it. And that’s where Lapis and Peridot came in.” Earl finished carding out the knots, and went to work braiding Amethyst’s hair.

“When Lapis invited me to her and Peri’s dance practice, I wasn’t expecting to walk in on them in full drag. But I did. And it was like something suddenly clicked. All the weird feelings, all the confusion since the baseball game went away in that moment. And I asked them if they could use a third. And Lapis was persistent in making me tell her why I wanted to do it. Forced it out of me that it wasn’t just for fun, or performance like her and Peri. There were some days that I wanted to be Earl like I needed to breathe. I was confused and scared. So I did what any one would do –”

“And consulted the internet,” Amethyst finished for him, yanking her own hair when she laughed, wincing. “Is that why the internet history was deleted that one time?”

“You noticed?” Earl asked, mortified.

“Yeah, you never erase your browser history, P. Er, sorry, E.”

“Yes, that was why. I had ordered a few things. And decided to try them out when you were on that camping trip with Jasper and the Famethyst last month. That’s how Ruby, Sapphire and Garnet found out.”

Earl leaned back to appraise his work when he finished the braid, clucking in satisfaction. Amethyst rolled her eyes, and grabbed his hands. “Earth to Earl, my eyes are over here. C’mon, finish the story.”

“Patience is a virtue, Amethyst,” Earl teased, but not for long. He let her pout for a moment before continuing with the story. “I went to The Shattered Quartz, the other gay bar, on my own, as Earl. It felt good, it felt right that night. Unfortunately I neglected to realize that when Ruby and Sapphire want to go out to dance, they choose the only other gay bar in town that isn’t theirs.”

“Oh, damn. I think I see where this is going.” Amethyst nodded.

“Mhm. Well, it turns out that they didn’t recognize me at first, they just saw me and knew they had to dance with someone so blazingly confident. Even if my moves were about a decade out of style, as Sapphire decided to point out. Apparently when not slow dancing together they like to dance with anyone they can find. It’s more fun that way. It just happened to be me. When they got close I froze like a deer and then bolted, and hid in the bathroom crying! They had to call Garnet to convince me to get out of the stall.”

“And how did she do that?”

“She said, ‘Pearl, other people need to use the bathroom.’ And I knew that it was empty, except for us, but, oh, I just didn’t want to be an inconvenience either, and so of course I left the stall.”

“Of course,” Amethyst chuckled.

“But I,” and here Earl’s voice grew prouder. “I corrected her when I opened the door. ‘It’s Earl.’ I told her. And she just. Opened her arms and hugged me and told me that it was nice to meet me, and that she loved me, and that she hoped I was a good experience.”

“That’s Garnet.”

“And then Ruby and Sapphire told me they loved me too, and oh, wasn’t I handsome? And we did eventually end up dancing together later.”

“Hell, yeah you did! Go Earl!” Amethyst fist pumped.

Earl flushed again, pleased at the praise. “And that leads to tonight. I gave you the tickets, and knew Sapphire would make sure you stayed. I’ve wanted to tell you for a while now, so I thought I’d show you instead, because I hadn’t found the words. I mean it’s just too weird. Pearl some days, and Earl others. How am I supposed to explain this to Greg? And Steven? Are they even going to want Earl around?”

“Earl. Earl. Look at me,” Amethyst demanded. And he did. “You’re spiralling.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s scary. I get it. But you’re not alone, okay?” Amethyst pressed several shy kisses to Earl’s neck, his pulse trip hammering under her plush lips. “Greg would never take Steven away from you for this, okay? You and him are friends now, and Greg is pretty damn accepting. I think he’ll be excited to meet you, Earl. He just wants to get to know you better, y’know? And Steven is easy. Just tell him ‘Some days I feel like a girl, and some days like a boy.’ He’s smart, he’ll get it.”

Earl sighed. “I feel silly now.”

“You ain’t silly and you ain’t weird. And I’ll beat up anyone who says otherwise.”

“And then you’ll go to jail and I’ll have to bail you out,” Earl grumbled, good-naturedly.

“I bet I’d look really hot in a prison jump suit though,” Amethyst mused.

Earl laughed, but allowed himself to entertain the thought. He’d be lying if he said it wasn’t a little enticing. “I think the orange would clash with your hair, though.”

“Damn. You’re probably right. Guess I can’t go to jail then.”

“Good.” Earl looked down at Amethyst with a dopey grin on his face, wondering how he got so lucky to find someone so understanding.

“You know, the night’s not over. Dance with me?” Earl asked, wobbling off of Amethyst’s lap, and grabbing her hands in his own.

“Fuck yes, let’s do it!” Amethyst jumped up, pulling Earl into a twirl.

Earl didn’t even reprimand Amethyst about her language as he held his arm out for her to take. They exited the dressing room together, content, if only for the night.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a weird thing I did, that's partially based on real life. Hit the Diamond is one of my favorite episodes and the fake human persona's the gems came up with are fantastic. I kind of just wanted to write about gender and drag and Earl and Pearlmethyst (although I guess it's Earlmethyst here!) Hope you enjoyed. Please read and review!


End file.
